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Page 1
NATIVE INSTRUMENTSDESIGN PROCESS AND RATIONALE
VERSION 1
Rebrand by Andrew Johnson
aetherpoint.com
https://soundcloud.com/aetherpoint
Page 2
1. INTRODUCTION
2. INITIAL RATIONALE
3. RESEARCH
4. DESIGN CONCEPTING
5. LOGO EXPLORATION
6. LOGO DEVELOPMENT
7. LOGO REFINING
8. SUPPORTING MATERIAL
9. IMPLEMENTATION
10. THANKS
Page 3
1. INTRODUCTIONVERSION 1
For a Typography II assignment I rebranded the audio
hardware and software company Native Instruments.
Native Instruments is known for its leading software
(Massive, Kontakt, Reaktor and Traktor) and
hardware (S2 Mixers and Maschine)products for both
novice and professional musical artists and
audio designers.
My goal was to refresh the dated visual language used
by Native Instruments to something that could be
applied easily to the wide variety of products the
company is responsible for.
Page 4
2. INITIAL RATIONALEVERSION 1
Native Instruments original logo is a reliable logo that
speaks to the solidarity and quality of the company’s
products. The slate color is neutral, but also
sophisticated. Additionally, the axehead shape alludes to a
spreading soundwave or an axe itself held by a indigenous
tribe. The bold type reinforces the strong presence of the
Native Instruments logo in a balanced manner.
Despite its strong voice, the Native Instruments logo is
clunky. The thick black borders, while increasing contrast
and alluding to a physical button, wiegh down the logo.
Native Instruments leading, cutting edge, role in both
audio software and hardware is not apparent within the
logo. Native Instruments typically utilzes drop shadows
bold type, glossy graphical treatments, and dynamic
imagry. While aesthetically, engaging, it adds to the
unnecessary clunkyness of the brand that could be an
incredibly sharpened, flexible and dynamic leading audio
software and hardware brand.
Page 5
2. INITIAL RATIONALE: Cntd.VERSION 1
I set out to rebrand Native Instruments with a fresh and
modern take on the leading role company. I intended on
creating a system that would unify Native Instruments
with its products. My focus was to create a container
brand that could support various treatments and visual
styles to encompass the the different products.
Page 6
3. RESEARCHVERSION 1
Native Instruments held key markets and attributes that
its competitors did not. My goal was to identify elements
of the company and their products the that needed to be
emphasized throughout the brand. The Native Instrument
arsenal consists of several main products:
Kontakt: software sampler
Maschine: rhythm machine
Massive: wavetable-based software synthesizer
Reaktor: modular software music studio
Traktor: DJ software and hardware
These products make up the current backbone of
Native Instruments. They have specific visual style that
can be compared and contrasted with other competition.
Most of the other brands lack in visual cohesiveness and
appear less exciting and antiquated when compared with
Native Instruments bold imagry. Competitors lack a visual
system to tie in their products to each other and to the
brand itself (some simply lack integrated products).
Page 7
3. RESEARCH: ComparisonsVERSION 1
Propellerhead
Native Instruments
Ableton
u-he Akai
Page 8
3. RESEARCHVERSION 1
Other companies are a direct rip off of another visual
style. REFX is more or a less a clone of Apple’s design,
and Image Line’s imagery is striking similar to the visual
style of Native Instruments. This observation provides
even more incentive for Native Instruments to distance its
branding from its competitors.
Other companies like Moog have different imagery to draw
from (in Moogs case classic, extremely well known
hardware) and are able maintain a relatively tight brand.
Page 9
3. RESEARCH: ComparisonsVERSION 1
Image Line
Apple
Native Instruments
REFX
Moog
Page 10
3. RESEARCHVERSION 1
The User Interfaces of Native Instruments products both
reinforce and help define the brand. Visual cohesiveness
is apparent between Native Instruments software
products. User Interface elements remain the same, even
when comparing different sub synthesizers within Reaktor
and the separate program Traktor Pro. The only exception
are standalone synthesizers like Massive, which are still
wrapped inside the Native Instrument sub-brand visuals
alone with Kontakt, Komplete, Reaktor and the like.
Competitor User Interfaces tend to lack this consistancy.
This is partly due to the fact that few companies have the
large amount of products to integrate with each other to
form a visual system. Instead, they create more
standalone products. Regardless, the design of
competitor’s software shy toward skeumorphism or
physical simulation and lack visual consistancy.
Page 11
3. RESEARCH: ComparisonsVERSION 1
Native Intruments Traktor Pro
Native Instruments Reaktor - Titan 1.3
Native Instruments Massive
Native Instruments Reaktor - Atmotion 1.3
REFX Nexus 2 REFX Vanguard
Lennar Digital Sylenth 1
Page 12
4. DESIGN CONCEPTINGVERSION 1
In order to develop the Native Instrument brand, I
indentified key points to flush out in the brand:
Native Instrument’s Inherent Brand Advantages• Only company that specializes in both hardware and
software.
• Native Instruments are well known and widely used.
• Somewhat strong Brand
• Somewhat cohesive product visual system.
Native Instrument’s Inherent Brand Disadvantages• Visual Brand is too similar to Image Line.
• Antiquated condensed type.
• The ‘glossy button’ graphical treatment is the easy way
out and less effective route to make things appear tactile
or of high quality.
• Native Instruments branding is clunky, antiquated and
lacks sophistication.
• Native Instrument’s logotype doesn’t make any clever
references to what the company is.
Native Instrument’s Unique Brand Attributes• Leading Software & Hardware Role
• Emphasizes Ease of Use and Integration
• Native Instruments markets their oftware products in
boxes to make them seem more tangible.
• Each Synth has it’s own Big Bold Logoz Native Instru-
ments has strong eye catching imagry to utilize from their
products, User Interfaces, and company vision.
Page 13
4. DESIGN CONCEPTINGVERSION 1
Course of Action and Design Goals• Bring out Native Instrument’s unique Dominance in
Software & Hardware. It’s a marriage of both. The tac-
tile and the audio quality. The functionality and ability for
creative expression. Currently, the logo only appeals to the
physical aspect.
• Bring more integrated emotion into the logo. It often sits
to the side when it could be containing or interacting with
the products.
• Refresh the brand to negate other companies that have
a similar visual style to Native Instrument’s design.
• Emphasize Functionality / Usability.
• Emphasize Audio Engineering
• Emphasize the fun factor.
• Emphasize a broad range of products.
• Show how Native Instrument is the integration between
products leading to streamlined workflows.
Page 14
5. LOGO EXPLORATIONVERSION 1
After identifying my goals, I began exploring potentials for
the Native Instrument logo.
NI
Page 15
5. LOGO EXPLORATION: TypeVERSION 1
Potential type was explored at the same time.
NATIVE INSTRUMENTSNI
NATIVE INSTRUMENTSNI
NINATIVE INSTRUMENTS
NATIVE INSTRUMENTSNI
NATIVE INSTRUMENTSNI
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS
NI
NATIVE INSTRUMENTSNI
NATIVE INSTRUMENTSNI
NATIVE INSTRUMENTSNI
NATIVE INSTRUMENTSNI
NINATIVE INSTRUMENTS
NATIVE INSTRUMENTSNI
NATIVE INSTRUMENTSNI
NATIVE INSTRUMENTSNI
NATIVE INSTRUMENTSNI
NATIVE INSTRUMENTSNI
Page 16
5. LOGO EXPLORATIONVERSION 1
The grid found its way into the explorative design process
for refining designs, as it aided in creating a system.
NINI
Page 17
6. LOGO DEVELOPMENTVERSION 1
The logos began to evolve.
N INI NATIVE INSTRUMENTS
N I
Page 18
7. LOGO REFINING: RationaleVERSION 1
After spending a long time on flushing out possibilities I
settled on the box logo accompanied Geogrotesque Light.
My descisions were based around several design and
conceptual obervations:
• The logo is neutral enough to be applied to a variety of
situations and contain Native Instrument’s wide range of
products.
• The square is a solid form that can also be easily
integrated, just like Native Instrument products. It also
alludes to a box of software.
• The small triangle implies connectivity further reinforc-
ing Native Instrument’s integrative products.
• The logo is at home within a 3D or motion context.
• Geogrotesque Light suits the logo with a sophisticated,
technologyical, but warm feel.
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS
Page 19
7. LOGO REFINING: DesignVERSION 1
Using a basic grid system I tightened up proportions and
form relationships.
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS
Page 20
8. SUPPORTING MATERIALVERSION 1
MASSIVE
KONTACT
MASCHINE
REAKTOR
TRAKTOR
KOMPLETE
In order to ensure the sub products fit their parent brand,
I reworked their respective symbols using the same grid
and proportions.
Page 21
9. IMPLEMENTATIONVERSION 1
In addition to creating a style guide for Native Instrument
logo use, a number of graphical elements and
explorations were derived from the logo were created for
varied User Interface and branding applications.
Page 22
10. THANKSVERSION 1
Professor Farrier
Professor Bowden
Professor Roberts
Professor Currier
Alain Montes